Stamp-affixing device.



PATENTED MAR. 13, 1906. M. R. BURROWES. STAMP APFIXING' DEVICE.

APPLIOATiON FILED Mus. i905.

. immvre .lfarcuimuzmll/ea momvsrs WITNESSE i a I PATENTED M'AR. 18, 1906. M. R. BURROWES STAMP AFFIXING DEVICE.

APPLICATION TILED MAY 3.11905.

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INVENTOR Jfiu'ous EBwames ATTORNEYS No. 814,936. PATENTED'MAR. 13, 1906.

' M. R. BURROWESJ STAMP AFFIXING DEVICE.

APPLICATION IILED MAYS. 1905.'

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

, MARCUS ROBINSON BURROWES. OF SARNIA, CANADA.

STAMP-AFFIXING DEVICE.

To all whom, it may dancern:

Be it known that I, MARCUS -ROBINSON BURROWES, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and aresident of Sarnia,

5 in theProvince of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and Im roved' simple construction and which willoperate to moisten the parts and apply the stamp with great rapidity and in a certain sense automatically.

The invention comprises a magazine in which the stamps or labels are contained and beneath which the envelop or other article may be thrust. As the envelop passes beneath'the stamp-magazine it is moistened automatically by the moistening device, and the mechanism is, then operated to aflix a stampin the req'uiredposition.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective of the device. Fig. 2'is a vertical central section, -a portion of the base being represented as broken away, In this figure the parts are represented in their normal position when at rest. Fig. 3 is'a vertical section similar to Fig. 2, but representing the device in the act of applying the stamp. Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially upon the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side, elevation I and section broken away, as will appear, showing the preferred form of the moistening apparatus and representing the same as at rest. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but representing the moistening device in action; and Fig.7 is a see- Fig.6.

Referring more particularly to the parts, and especially to Figs. 1 to 4, the device comprises a base 1, which is formed hollow, as

i I is-preferably integral with the base, as indi- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed Maya, 1905. Serial No. 258.680.

pear more fully hereinafter.

' point.

the head 11.

tion taken substantially at the point 7 7 of.

, Patented March 13, 1906.

v cated. This casing 2 is formed. with side cheeks or. lates 4, which near their forward :edges are ormed into vertical guide grooves or channels-5, for a purpose which will appear more fully hereinafter. The rear wall 3 of the casing preferably inclines forwardly, as indicated at- 6 in Figs. 2 and 3. Removably mounted in the guideways or grooves 5 a stamp or label magazine 7'is arran ed. This magazine. comprises a body 8 osubstantially rectangular or box form. Atits lower edge it is open, as indicated in Fig. 2, but

provided with inwardly-projecting lips 9, which operate to support a plurality of stamps 10, which are placed in the magazine, as indicated, and in a manner which will ap- Near the upper portion of this, body 8 it is provided with a transverse head 11, having an opening 12 therethrough at substantially its central the magazine is received within a bonnet 13, which bonnet is of rectangular or box-like form, as shown, and provided on its side faces with guide tongues 14, and these guidetongues are received in the aforesaid guidegrooves 5 of the casing. The bonnet 13 is surmounted by a suitable cap 15, upon which ones hand may rest when operating the magazine. To the upper extremity of the bonnet 13 a plunger 16 is attached, which extends vertically downward, as shown, and passes centrally through the. aforesaid opening 12 in Beneath the transverse head 11 the plunger 16 is itselfproyided with ahead 17, to the'under face whereof a pad 18 is attached, said pad being preferably formed of rubber or similar material. A helical spring 19 surrounds the plunger 16, attached at its lower extremity to the transverse head 11 and at its upper extremity to the bonnet.

.As indicated most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3,the opening 12 is of enlarged diameter with re- The upper portion of the'body 8 of the lower extremities of the tongues 14 of the bonnet and operate to support the bonnet normally in an elevated position.

The moistening device 23 will now be described: This device comprises anapron 24, disposed at the front and above the base 1. It is provided with rearwardly-projecting arms 25, which attach to a transverse stud 26, disposed horizontally in the rear wall 3. About this stud 26 a spring 27" is coiled, which operates to press in the apron 24 downwardly upon the base. The apron 24 comprises side cheeks or faces provided with vertically-elongated slots 27, and in these slots are mounted the extremities of the shaft of a moistening-roller 28. At a point just beneath this roller the upper surface of the base is formed with a depression or recess 29, through which there is an opening communicating with the interior of the base, said opening being preferably provided with a bushing 30, constituting a seat upon which the moistening-roller normally rests, as indicated in Fig. 2. Through the bushing 30 a wick 31 passes. In the forward portion of the apron 24 a horizontal guide-roller 32 is mounted,

and this roller normally rests upon the upper face of the base, as shown in Fig. 2. The dampening-roller 28 preferably comprises a sponge or absorbent body, which is adapted to take up moisture from the wick for the purpose of moistening the envelops in a manner which will appear more fully hereinafter.

As indicated in Fig. 2, the lower extremity of the body 8 of the magazine is normally maintained at an elevation above the upper face of the base 1. When the device isto be operated, the envelop 33 or other article which is to have a stamp or label afiixed will be thrust inwardly, as indicated in Fig. 3, passing under the guide-roller 32 and operating to raise the moistening-roller 28, the movement being continued inwardly until the inner edge of the envelop comes against a nib or projection 33, constituting a stop. This inward movement of the envelop operates to moisten that portion thereof which comes in contact with the lower face of the moistening-roller. When the envelop is positioned as indicated in Fig. 3, the bonnet 13 is forced downwardly by hand. As the bonnet 13 is depressed the spring 19 is compressed and will operate to depress the body 8. As the bonnet descends the body 8 of the magazine is forced downwardly by the spring 19 until its lower extremity comes against the upper side of the envelop, as shown in Fig. 3. As soon as the body has come to rest u on the envelop a considerable pressure will be exerted on the body of stamps, and this pressure will be sufficient to aflix thelowest stamp to the moistened envelop. The purpose of the opening 12 through the transverse head 11 is to permit the flow of air from the interior of the bonnet 13 into the upper portion of the body 8 above the stamps. As this air escapes at the edges of the stamps downwardly it tends to prevent moisture working upwardly at the edges of the stamps from contact with the moist envelop. When the bonnet 13 is released, it returns automatically by the spring 20, and the body 8 is likewise returned. The lowest stamp, which has been stuck upon the envelop, will retain itself in position there, its edges slipping out easily from the retaining-lips 9. As the envelop is drawn outwardly the stamp must pass under the rollers 28 and 32, and the edges of the stamp will be pressed down in this way, so as to make them adhere closely also to the envelop.

In Figs. 5 to 7 there is illustrated a preferred construction for the moistening apparatus. In this instance the casing 34 projects from the rear wall 35, so as to form a deep throat 36, the apron 37 being formed integrally with the casing, as shown. In the forward portion of the apron a transverse stud or'pin 38 is mounted horizontally, and upon this pin an arm 39 is loosely mounted. The

body of this arm consists of an elongated plate, as shown, provided with lateral extensions 40 at its extremities, between which a moistening roller 41 is rotatably mounted. Upon the pin 38 a coiled spring 42 is arranged, being attached rigidly near its central portion to the forward wall of the apron, as indicated at 43. At its extremities this spring 42 is formed with extensions 44, which proj ect across above the upper face of the arm 39 and which may operate to constrain the arm and the roller downwardly. The roller 41 is rigidly mounted upon a shaft 45, which turns loosely in the extensions 40, as will be readily understood. At one extremity this shaft projects and has rigidly attached thereto a ratchet-wheel 46. To the side face of the apron 37 at a point substantially above the position of the roller, as indicated in Fig. 6, a detent-pawl 47 is mounted, the same consisting substantially of a V-shaped resilient member rigidly attached at 48 and having a downwardly-projecting tip 49. As indicated in Fig. 5, the extensions 44 of the spring 42 normally project in an inclined position just to the rear of the arm 39, and the said arm normally depends vertically, as shown. Just beneath the roller when occupying this position a depression 50 is formed in the uiper face of the base, near one side of which an opening is provided into which a wick 51 projects, as in the form described. Upon this wick the roller 41 normally rests, and the roller being, as before, of absorbent material it takes up the water, as will be readily understood. With this form I dispense with the guide-roller. The envelop will be introduced by pressing its edge against the forward face of the roller, and this will operate to rotate the roller upwardly and rearwardly,

as indicated in vFig. 6.. When thisoccurs,

one of the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 46 will engage with the tip 49 of the s ring 47 in roller as a moistener is much increased, as it rubs the faces of the envelop like a brush as it passes beneath.

' It will be observed that as the roller hangs vertically, as in Fig. 5 no substantial resistance to the passage of the envelop is afiordeduntil the arm engages the extensions 44; of the spring. When this occurs, however, a slight resistance is presented, which is advantageous in subjecting the roller to a desirable pressure as it moistens the envelop.

While the device is intended especially for afiixing stam s to envelops, the width of the throat 36 wil permit thickerobjectasuch as packages, to be treated in the machine, and in Fig; 6 the roller is represented in its most elevated osition in dotted outline.

In loa ing the magazine the entire magazine will be lifted out of the casing and turned upside down, so as to enable the stamps to be inserted. It is of course understood that the stamps are all placed so that their gummed faces are downward when the magazine is set up in operation.

The supply of Water in the reservoir will be replenished through an opening. normally closed by a removable cap 1.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 3 1. In a deviceof the class described, in combination, a moistening-roller normally occupying a depressed position, means for feed-.

mg moisture to said roller, meansfor locking said roller against rotation by a displacement thereof, and a magazine for stamps or labels.

v2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a base, a moistening-roller normally occupying a depressed position, a ratchetwheel carried by said'roller, a member having a fixed point of'suppor't-and adapted to engage said ratchet wheel when the same is elevated, means for feeding a moistening fluid to said roller when in said depressed position, and a stamp-attaching magazine beyond said roller.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination, a casing, an arm pivoted thereto, a moistening-roller carried by said arm, a spring adapted to engage said arm when moved upwardly, meansfor locking said rollerv against rotation when moved upwardly, and a stamp-afiixing magazine beyond said roller.

4. In a device of the class described, in combination, a base constituting a reservoir and having a depression in the upper face there-- of, a casing, an arm pivoted to said casing, a moistemng-roller carried by said arm and normally resting in said depression, a spring,

adapted to engage said arm when moved upwardly, a ratchet-wheel rigid with said roller, a second spring carried by said casing adapted to engage said ratchet-wheel to' lock said roller, and a stampaffixing magazine provided in said casing' 5. In a device of the class described, a magazine comprising a body having a compartment adapted to receive stamps, and a' transverse head th'ereabove, said head having an opening therethrough, a bonnet slidably mounted on said body, and a plunger carried by said bonnet and adapted to advance the body of said stamps, said-opening affording means for the escape of air from the interior of said bonnet into said stamp-com. partment. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARCUS ROBINSON BURROWES/ Witnesses: I

KEETH W. SMITH, E. SYMINGTON. 

